More on proposal...April 2010

Chapter 2 Literature Review

A little bit on Literature Review....

http://library.ucsc.edu/help/howto/write-a-literature-review

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/literature_review.html

http://www.aare.edu.au/98pap/ain98054.html

http://www.georgetown.edu/crossroads/mltmedia.html

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te800.htm

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/perth97/papers/Gunn/Gunn.html

http://www.icte.org/T01.Library/T01-103.pdf


Extract from ICT AS A LEARNING TOOL TO
ASSIST TEACHING ICT IN
PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Ruba Abu Hassana
Coventry University,
School of Art and Design, UK.
ruba_h_a@hotmail.com

Introduction

ICT has turned from being a technology of
communication and information to a curriculum
creation and delivery system for teachers and
learners. However, there is an unresolved tension
around the issue of ICT as a subject in its own right
that comprises the knowledge, skills and
understanding to make appropriate, productive use
of ICT, or as a set of tools with which to deliver and
absorb other subjects in the curriculum. Smith (1999)
mentioned "the focus is on the subject being taught
or studied rather than developing pupils' skills with,
and knowledge of, the technologies themselves'."
Accordingly this argument is a discussion that shows
no sign of coming to resolution. As Dale, Robertson,
and Shortis (2002) predict that "the qualitative and
quantitative gaps between the pupils' and the
teacher's understanding of the affordances of ICT as
a technology of teaching are much greater than has
heretofore been the case with any other teaching
technology.”
As a tool, "ICT has the potential to transform the way
that education is delivered" (Fisher 2001). ICT can
facilitate differentiation and individualization in
education: it makes it possible to tailor both the
content and the presentation of the subject matter to
the individual background, experience and needs of
students. In addition, as Schiller & Tillett (2004) said
“ICT enhances what is possible by amplifying what
teachers are able to do, by providing an entry point to
content and enquiries that were not possible with out
the use of ICT, by extending what students are able
to produce as a result of their investigations, and
finally by providing teachers with the opportunity to
become learners again.”
According to the possibilities of utilizing ICT as a tool
in education, its usage spread. “92% of primary
schools teachers make regular use of ICT for
teaching and learning" (BECTA 2004) However, as
indicated by Ofsted (2005) “In primary schools ICT
was used mainly to support English and
mathematics; there was some use of ICT in other
subjects but application across the curriculum was
still largely undeveloped.”
In addition to the current concern of raising standards
of ICT usage across curriculum, “the National
Curriculum for ICT in England has been considered
to provide a useful framework for ‘ICT capability’ or
‘information literacy’. Such capability enables
children to demonstrate the development of their
knowledge, understanding, and skill in making
‘informed judgments about when and where to use
ICT to best effect, and to consider its implications for
home and work both now and in future” ‘(DFEE
1999:96). Which signify that, ICT capability is not
limited to a facility with a range of techniques and
skills with particular technologies and software
applications.
The National Curriculum in England identifies the
‘programmes of study’ and ‘attainment targets’ from
which schools can develop their planning and
organization of the curriculum. The framework for the
knowledge, skills and understanding in ICT
curriculum is presented in four aspects: Finding
things out; developing ideas and making things
happen; exchanging and sharing information;
reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it
progresses.
However, the inspection report (1999) revealed ICT
to be the “least well taught” of National Curriculum
subjects and subject to a “substantial
underachievement in about two fifths of primary
schools.”
Two years later, Scottish school inspectors continued
to report “few examples of ICT usage consistently
and effectively” and important weaknesses in the
majority of schools” (Scottish Executive, 2000) and
school inspectors in England reported “some
improvement” (Ofsted, 2002). But as indicated by
QCA annual report (2004) “In Key Stages 1 and 2
there has been a general improvement in ICT
provision, in 90 % of primary schools inspected by
Ofsted since their last inspection. The pupils'
achievements have continued to improve in ICT more
than in any other subject. However, in a significant
minority of schools ICT is still unsatisfactory. Lately
Ofsted (2005) “most schools made satisfactory
curriculum provision for ICT, including some balance
between teaching ICT capability and its application
across subject”
Though, most of the obtainable literature regards the
integration of ICT across curriculum. As indicated by
Heemskerk et al. (2005) there is a general lacuna in
research on ICT and education concerning the
relationship between learning outcomes in ICT
curriculum and the use of ICT as a teaching tool.
This study focuses on the use of ICT as a tool in ICT
curriculum it self, by answering the following
questions:
1) What is the pedagogy used in teaching the ICT
curriculum?
2) What are the ICT tools that are being used in
teaching the ICT curriculum?
3) What are the obstructions that face teachers in
teaching ICT?
These were put in place to identify what is needed to
improve the quality of teaching ICT curriculum.